Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Maybe it his choice that led the Government to railroad the legislation through the Oireachtas this week and to avoid the inevitable sense of shame the Minister, Deputy Brendan Howlin, and his Labour Party colleagues must feel at having abandoned not only public sector workers but the proud Labour Party tradition of defending workers' rights. Sinn Féin opposes the Bill for one simple reason, namely, its intention and purpose is to threaten ordinary public sector workers into supporting the proposals negotiated at Beggars Bush. It is not about cutting excessive pay of overpaid public sector chiefs or introducing pay equity in the public sector or clawing back the excessive pensions of former politicians and senior servants but a threat to law, to sign up to the Minister's latest slash and burn raid of the public sector or else. Where I come from we have been taught to stand up to bullies-----